Novocastrian to skipper new-look Aussie side at Paris Olympics

Power, 31, is officially bound for his second Olympics campaign after being named in the 13-man Sharks squad on Tuesday.

The Newcastle-raised talent, who made his national debut in 2013, is one of only three players with Olympics experience after representing Australia in Tokyo in 2021.

Alongside Blake Edwards, he will co-captain the team and feels having a host of first-timers will actually work in Australia's favour in Paris.

"It's a special moment for any athlete, and for us collectively as a group, to have that official naming," Power told the Newcastle Herald.

"It's a good thing, but it's probably only a momentary part of enjoyment and then it's back to work, with the bigger picture being now what we can do once we're there, collectively, in Paris.

"The squad's shaped up well .... we've got guys who have taken pretty different journeys to get to this point, which goes to show our dedication and hard work. Some have been sticking at it for quite a number of years.

"So to be there with that group, it's very exciting, because every single one of them is hungry and ready to go and cause some chaos over there."

Power has taken a different journey himself to reach another Olympics.

Ahead of his first, he spent five years playing professionally in Europe, fully focused on the sport.

But this time round, he has been living in Sydney juggling training and playing around full-time work.

He rises at 5am most days for a two-hour training session before a day's work as a corporate consultant. He trains again at night for a further two hours before hitting the hay about 11pm.

Rather than feel weighed down by his commitments, which he said was "part and parcel" of it all, he said his work outside the pool had helped his efforts in it, and vice versa.

"Growing up in Newcastle, we obviously have the Hunter Hurricanes there and I got to spend a lot of my earlier years in amongst that environment," he said.

"Even when I was 15, 16, getting to train with the adults.

"But part of what we had to do was travel to Sydney quite a lot, so even when I was going to Merewether High School, I'd still be in Sydney three mornings a week and of a weekend as well.

"[I'd] train five to seven [AM] at Homebush, and then catch a train back to school and make it in time for second period, go do that and then go and train afterwards.

"So when I think about that, the effort I've had to put in this time, I feel if I complained my younger self would probably tell me to pull my head in and remember what I used to have to do.

"There's only a negative to it if you allow yourself to put that on there.

"But I view it quite positively. I enjoy being able to have both the professional career and the water polo.

"I think both feed into each other quite well, and if you're having a bad day at one, the other can lift you up.

"While it's quite full-on, it's something which has put myself in a better space mentally."

Australia, who finished ninth in Tokyo, open their campaign on July 28 (AEST) against Spain.

They're in Group B of the 12-team tournament, and also face reigning Olympic champions Serbia, bronze medallists Hungary, Japan and hosts France.